The Benefits of Philosophical Analysis for Criminological Research,
Pedagogy and Practice
Andrew N. Carpenter and Craig N. Bach
The skills and techniques of philosophical analysis, broadly construed, can enhance the
professional practice of criminology. In this essay, we discuss the benefits of the philosophical
metascientific work carried out in the philosophy of crime/criminology. We then turn to a discussion
of how philosophical analysis of texts from the philosophical canon can help students of
criminology to understand more incisively foundational issues of the discipline and key
criminological concepts, as well as support theory development. We also explore ways
philosophical training and collaboration with professional philosophers can support innovative
criminological research. Finally, we advocate intensive engagement with philosophical ethics as a
means for helping criminological educators, researchers, and practitioners to secure nuanced
assessments of the rich ethical dimensions of criminology.
Possible Antecedents of Correctional Staff Work on Family Conflict
Eric Lambert and Nancy Hogan
As the empirical literature on correctional staff behaviors and attitudes expands, many
salient relationships have been identified between the correctional work environment and
different aspects of job satisfaction. One area just beginning to be explored is how the
work environment affects family life. In the literature, this is referred to as Work on Family
Conflict. The following study examines the impact of several work environment
antecedents. Using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, perceived job
dangerousness, role strain, instrumental communication, integration, input into decisionmaking, supervisor support, job variety, and organizational fairness were tested determine
their influence on the dependent variable of Work on Family Conflict. The results indicate
that worker position, supervisory status, perceived dangerousness of the job,
organizational fairness, and role ambiguity were linked to Work on Family Conflict.
Police Knowledge of Older Populations: The Impact of Training,
Experience, and Education
Brion Sever and Robert Youdin
Older populations are growing at a rapid pace in America, creating new challenges for service
related industries, including law enforcement. Since police officers will undoubtedly have more
interaction with older populations over the next 20 years, it is critical that attention is also given to
their knowledge of these populations. Most research focusing on this issue examined police chiefs
and college students’ opinions about laws and penalties for elder abuse and their perceptions of
older populations in general. The present study concentrates on officer knowledge of older
populations, and examines 126 police officers of all ranks in New Jersey. We find that formal
education of the officers as well as their training both lead to increased knowledge of older
populations. Policy implications surrounding this study are also discussed.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s West Point Leadership
Program: Participant Survey
David A. Jenks, J. Scott Carter, Catherine A. Jenks, and Mark Correia
The Los Angeles Police Department’s West Point Leadership Program (WPLP) was established in
1996. It is one of very few programs in the country that is directed at improving leadership among
current command staff within police organizations. The purpose of this project is to assess
perceptions of past participants as to the overall effectiveness/usefulness of the WPLP training.
Generally, the WPLP was found to be very effective at meeting its stated goals and better
equipping command staff to deal with leadership issues.
An Examination of Racial Profiling Data in a Large Metropolitan Area
Courtney T. Joiner
This study was conducted to determine if claims of racial profiling had statistical support in a large
metropolitan police department. Of interest was whether support existed for the racial profiling of
African American, Latino American, and Asian American citizens. Another more specific point
examined was whether disparity in case processing was more pronounced with African American
suspects than with other minority groups. The results of this study found some support for profiling
with the African American and Asian American community, but not the Latino American community.
It was also found that African Americans received more disparate treatment than did Asian
Americans or Latino Americans.
A Collection of Traffic Stop Information and Biased Enforcement:
The Research and Legal Perspective
Jill Joline Myers and Michael H. Hazlett
Many Americans, especially Americans of color, view policing as discriminatory, either by policy
and definition or by its day to day application. Thus, comparable to statutes in many other states,
the State of Illinois enacted, The Illinois Traffic Stop Statistical Study Act which requires that every
State and local law enforcement agency record data relative to traffic stops made within their
jurisdiction. The Act further charges the Illinois Department of Transportation to provide statistical
summaries (benchmarks) so that statistically significant aberrations in the race of those allegedly
involved in traffic stops can be compared and analyzed against the total population traveling
through an area to determine whether these discriminatory beliefs are factually founded. This
paper discusses the research and legal perspectives involved in designing, defining and
distinguishing behavior based on these benchmarks.